Some things to learn about the city before starting the course of Russian in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 and it is worth marking that in comparing with many other European cities, St. Petersburg is quite young. The first stone was laid by Peter the Great on Zayachy island (Peter and Paul Cathedral) on the 16th of May in 1703. By the new chronology we celebrate the day of the city on 27th of May.
St. Petersburg is known in all the world as «The Window to Europe». «Peter’s child» was born in time when Russia developed tendency of moving to Europe, so St. Petersburg became the sign of new progressive times. That was represented by the architecture style, by new discoveries in science.
Peter the Great, as an innovator, moved the capital from Moscow to Saint-Petersburg in 1712, and it took form of a new cultural, trade and political centre.
St. Petersburg was named after Peter’s I patron, the apostle Saint Peter. But then the name was changed many times: Petrograd (1914), Leningrad (1924-1991), and after the dissolution of the USSR the original name was returned to the city. It is good to know these names, as while studying Russian you will definitely hear several names of this city. You also can use the short name – Peter, which is quite popular amongst the Russians.
